Melissa James Bio

Melissa James, Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley Global Capital Markets (GCM), likes to say that becoming a more sustainable business “is a journey, not a destination.” By which she means that companies that commit to practices that are sound from an environmental, social and governance (ESG) standpoint should see that commitment as an ongoing process, with results that don’t happen overnight. While there are both strong ethical and financial reasons to take ESG factors into consideration when making investment decisions, significant impact on the greater good is necessarily a long-term goal. And, as with any long and successful journey, this one requires a steady navigator to lead the way. James has been such a navigator since taking on the role of head of the GCM ESG Center for Excellence (CoE) in 2019 guiding clients across sectors on strategy formulation and implementation in this area. James’s work includes advising emerging growth companies on ESG stewardship in preparation for going public; structuring and executing ESG labeled capital raises; and helping companies think through their capital allocation decisions with an ESG lens. James sits on the Global Capital Markets Operating Committee and is a member of the firm's Climate Risk Committee as well Morgan Stanley’s Women’s Business Alliance Steering Committee. She joined the firm after earning a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. She has been recognized by Black Enterprise Magazine as one of the “Top 75 Most Powerful Blacks on Wall Street,” as well as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Corporate America.”